Assignment
on EDS 437 - Critically
discuss the inception up till date - PDP as political party in Nigeria (POLITICAL SCIENCE)
In
the in list of all this confusion, a group of political leaders, eighteen them
in the first instance and later thirty – four decides to “dure the lion is his den”. This group known, as the
G-34 later formed the rallying point of the associations that formed what is today, the people democratic, party, PDP. What
were the ideas behind this
coalition to save democracy Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar Rimi, second republic governor of the
people democratic party, trace the idea of the
formation of the party to the quest
to unite the society against military rule.
According
to chief Solomon Lar, the first elected chairman of PDP,
the G- 34 captured the excitement of Nigiera because of the quality and integrity for its members ‘ to him, Nigiera were no longer willing to
gamble a way their future to fortune
seekers who dominated the failed
politics of the Abacha era. As
a consequence of sustaining the
momentum of democratic struggles, the
G-34 attracted several political
associations that shared the vision of a
truly formidable national political platform. The new
party also set out to work together for the speedy restoration of democracy,
the achievement of national
reconciliation, economic and social reconstruction and respect for human rights
and the rule of law.
The
people democratic party was launched at a colourful ceremony at the
international conference centre
Abuja on August 31,
1998. Te party had Dr. Alex Ekwueme as chairman, of the steering
committee while professor Jerry Gana was the secretary. The PDP applied
for registration along with several other political association under the guidelines
rebased, by the independent national electoral commission INEC
In
all these criteria, the PDP emerged, tops. The INEC verification team observed
that the PDP was firmly established
in virtually all the wards of the
federation. In the local government polls
the PDP won 471 out of the
774 L.G.A S AND WERE TOPS .in 28 of the 36 states and the
FCT. This the ground work for the establishment of the PDP as the most popular
and largest political party in the history of Nigeria was achieved, the party
not only had presence in every locality, it also was ahead of its competitors
in the thrust of campaigns. Un of may 29, 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was
duly sworn in as the second executive president of the federal republic of
Nigeria on the 4th of June, 1999, the National Assembly was
inaugurated (now Late) and Allaji Ibrahim Salisu Buhari elected as president of
senate and speaker of the house of Representative respectively.
In
response to the yearnings of the party members to democratic it structures, the
PDP organized congresses and a National convention towards the end of 1999 to
elect officials to run the Party. In December 1999, Chief Barnabas Gemade, a
former secretary, of works and housing
was elected, National chairman while Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo retained his office
as National secretary. During Chief Gemades, tenure in office the peoples
democratic institute, (PDI), the intellectual, arm of the PDP was established;
The PDP was also expanded to other countries to enable Nigeria in the Diaspora
enjoy membership of the fast growing PDP. In November, 2001, the PDP constitution
was amended to provide for a four year tenure for elected executive from the
previous 2 year tenure.
At
the 2001 convention Chief Audu Ogbeh, second republic minister of
communication, and former deputy speaker in the old benue state house of Assembly,
was unanimously elected National chairman while prince Vincent ogbulafor,
affairs, was elected national, secretary. The Audu ogbeh, led executive was
remarkable, in managing the crisis legislative arms of government. It also
energized PDP’s economic policy especially on Agriculture. He was the honouring
Adviser to the president on Agriculture Chief Ogbeh, also led the party to
Victory in the 2003 general election. The senator Amadu Ali led executive was
notable for making the PDP an issue,-based and agenda-setting party several
workshops and seminars were organized during his tenure to intellectually equip
the party.
The
high point of this executive was the redevelopment, of the PDP manifesto
complete with an implementation formula to bring it in line with modern
realities. The Ali administration also set in motion the machinery, for the
building of a befitting National secretarial. On the minus side, the
re-registration exercise they initiated was interpreted, by some leading party
members as a deliberate ploy to weed out “undesirable elements” in other words,
opponents of president Obasanjo. The PDP was therefore no longer a broad a
broad base platform where all Nigerians could find expression as envisaged by
the founding father befitting National secretarial; the constitution amendment
exercise embarked upon by the national Assembly was also riddled was
controversies, that portrayed the party in extreme bad light.
Members
of the PDP in the National assembly, constituted themselves into a major opposition
block against the party during this exercise. At the end the day, the
amendment, proposal failed, to the utter disgrace of the PDP, which adopted an
unpopular position. There was a systematic disconnect, between the party and
the people.